One look at your feet can sometimes reveal more about your future than you could ever imagine.
What you may not know is that your feet can sometimes hold clues about problems you may be having in other parts of your body – or problems you may not even realize you have.
You may have been enjoying the fall foliage, on The Walkway Over the Hudson, and show up at the podiatrist with a painful swollen foot, only to find out you have gout (a medical condition related to eating certain protein foods), rheumatoid arthritis, or Lyme disease.
When you visit a Podiatrist, here are some of the conditions they will be looking for:
- Hairless feet or toes could mean poor blood circulation. These could be signs of Raynaud’s Disease or Peripheral Arterial Disease.
- Numb feet could be caused by nerve damage, commonly known as neuropathy, which can also be associated with diabetes, or vitamin deficiency.
- Nails that are discolored or changing shape could be signs of psoriasis, anemia, liver problems, or heart disease.
- Fractures in your feet may be the signs of a medical problem associated with weak bones, such as osteoporosis or celiac disease that, when undiagnosed, lead to more serious problems.
A podiatric checkup should be an important part of your health routine. Dr. Schlam puts his patient’s health first and wants to make sure you are taken care of as a whole. Visit us at Hollowbrook Foot Specialists in >Wappingers Falls where you aren’t “just another pair of feet.”
By David Schlam
